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You can abandon your preconceived ideas about what a Ferrari should be: the new ‘Ferrari Four' or ‘FF' is set to replace the 612 Scaglietti as Ferrari's big V12 GT car - and it's got a few surprises in store.

Apart from the obvious shooting brake-style body - a cross between an estate and a coupe - the FF also gets four seats and four-wheel drive, a huge step for Ferrari.

The front is basically nicked from the current 458 Italia, but the aluminium spaceframe is entirely new and allows for a pretty useful 450 litres of bootspace, extendable to 800 litres with - wait for it - flip-down rear seats. In a Ferrari.

But the big news remains the all-wheel drive. Ferrari's ‘4RM' system is 50 per cent lighter than a conventional setup, mated to a beefed-up seven-speed dual-shift transmission already used in the California and 458 Italia.

And, interestingly, that seven-speed DCT ‘box has to contend with the might of a re-worked version of Ferrari's rather glorious 6.0-litre V12. Now a 6.2, this reworked Vee sits just behind the front axle and produces 660bhp and 504lb ft of torque. You might be interested to know that in the Four, this 6.2-litre returns 18mpg and emits 360g/km of CO2.

But you'll definitely be more interested in learning that the Four can accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and top 208mph; fast enough to destroy any lingering doubt you still have over that controversial shape.

We've got more details in next month's Top Gear magazine - on sale 27 January - but until then, we open up the floor to you. What do you make of Maranello's latest?